The present invention relates, in general, to portable carrying devices and, in particular, to an adjustable carrying tray apparatus for transferring supported articles to and from an automotive vehicle.
For literally hundreds of years, men have utilized a series of lifting and transportation tray-type devices to facilitate the movement of articles from one point to another. With the advent of automotive vehicles capable of travelling at high speeds and capable of starting and stopping rapidly, several problems were imposed on the use of carrying tray apparatus. Under rapid movement, conventional type trays, for example, have a tendency to slip along the seat or surface on which they are placed within the vehicle. Further, many conventional tray devices are of a rigid construction which have a tendency to take up an excessive amount of space within a vehicle and are not adjustable to facilitate the carrying of alternately large and small, heavy and/or light loads.
Many of the presently utilized tray devices fail to assist the user in several of the most widely needed applications. These applications comprise the use of such tray devices for the transferring of shopping containers from a grocery store to the vehicle and from the vehicle to a user's home. The vast majority of supermarkets presently utilize standard size shopping bags, and beverage cartons and containers which often tip over while in an automobile during movement of the vehicle. A conventional rigid tray allows the supported articles, namely the shopping bags and containers to freely slide relative to the tray, thus allowing a certain amount of outpour from a well filled bag, as well as tearing, spilling, and the like.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable carrying tray apparatus of a rugged, sturdy construction, for transferring supported articles to and from an automotive vehicle. Further, it is an object of the invention to be sufficiently portable and to provide several conveniently placed handle means to facilitate the carrying of these supported objects.
It is further an object of the invention that the tray apparatus telescope to reduce the amount of area it takes up within the vehicle when not being used, while at the same time enabling adjustment to a width which is appropriate for carrying a particular size load. In this respect, it is also an object that the tray apparatus be easily disassembled to further reduce the amount of space occupied by it towards enabling easier storage of the device within the trunk or any other area within the vehicle.
Similarly, it is an object of the invention to provide additional restraint and support to standard size grocery bags and containers to further facilitate the carrying of such containers and to enable the user to conveniently carry more of these containers at a time in order to reduce the number of trips necessary to load and/or unload a vehicle. Alternatively, the invention has, as one of its objectives, the adaptability of carrying not only groceries, shopping articles, but also laundry, picnic goods, and the like or, for that matter, any other article of reasonable shape and weight for transferral to and from an automobile.
It is additionally an object of the present invention to provide the rugged, adjustable carrying tray apparatus as described, while providing means in the form of shape and bottom surface devices for reducing the amount of sliding of the tray itself which can occur within a moving vehicle, as well as means on the top surface of the tray for restraining the object in place relative to the tray.